"Choice" in colorectal cancer screening encourages more patients to get screened

Despite a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicating a leveling off of colorectal cancer screening nationwide, Nevada’s screening programs are seeing some success, notably with an increase in simple at-home screening tests. From 2010 to 2012, the most recent data available, the percent of Nevadans up-to-date for colorectal cancer screening overall saw a slight increase, from 56.8 percent to 58 percent.

Increasing screening and early detection of cancers throughout the state is an NCC goal. When it comes to breast cancer, regular screening can assist in detecting cancer before symptoms occur, and usher women towards diagnostic tests to determine if cancer is present. In Nevada breast cancer screening rates are at 66.8% for women 40+ who've had a mammogram in the past two years, as reported in the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2012 (BRFSS). That's far below the national average of 74%, and even farther below the Healthy People 2020 target of 81.1%.

October has been a busy month for the Nevada Cancer Coalition! We are working on a variety of projects and already planning a host of programs and activities for 2014, from CME/CEU opportunities to collaborations for increasing cancer screening rates throughout the state. In this month's newsletter read more about:

On behalf of Nevada Cancer Coalition we would like to share our sincere and heartfelt condolences for the loss of a dear friend, a passionate and dedicated advocate for cancer control in Nevada - Assemblywoman Peggy Pierce.

In case you haven't noticed the influx of pink over the past several days, it's Breast Cancer Awareness month throughout October.

As we move toward October and Breast Cancer Awareness Month we have a lot of great stories to share. In this month's e-newsletter read more about:

Every hour someone dies from Melanoma in the U.S., including teens and adolescents. Sadly every death could have been prevented by early self-detection. The Melanoma Education Foundation has an award-winning program for educating teen students about early detection and prevention of Melanoma. Michael Brown, the saxophonist of the legendary rock group Sha Na Na and also the executive director for the Melanoma Education Foundation Nevada chapter, discusses melanoma with students at Valley High School in Las Vegas November 27.

NCC intern and MPH graduate student Charlotte Andreasen, working with the University of Nevada Center for Program Evaluation, is seeking women over the age of 40 with no personal history of cancer to take a brief survey. The 10-minute online questionnaire serves to assess women’s attitudes towards breast cancer screening and reasons why they may or may not have been screened.

According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men (after skin cancer), and the National Cancer Institute estimates that nearly 240,000 new cases of prostate cancer in the U.S. just this year.

Ladies, it’s time to listen up. Pink ribbons and breasts come next month, but September is the time to think about the other cancers that all women are at risk for: gynecologic cancers.